Last updated: October 2021
The Garden of (Re) Finds, was born in Lille in 1997. It is the first "community garden", directly inspired by the model of the gardens New York, which was created in France (Ref 1). There is an organic vegetable garden, a scented hill, a rainwater harvesting system, a regional hedge of regional species, a compost corner and a convivial shelter in corded wood and vegetal roof (Ref 2).
Jardin des trouvailles
Jardin des trouvailles Facebook page. Source: https://www.facebook.com/jardindesretrouvailles/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas
Project objectives
The goals were (a) to create an urban green space; (b) to engage the local community in gardening; (c) to produce locally grown food; (d) to help to develop and maintaining biodiversity; (e) to contribute in climate change mitigation (Ref 1, 2).
Implementation activities
AJONC, the association for the community garden helped interested people find a wasteland available to create a garden. The association made the link with the City of Lille for the provision of the land. It then mobilized the inhabitants and organized the concertation by privileging participative management. An organic vegetable garden, a scent mound, a rainwater collection system, a country hedge of regional species, a compost were installed (Ref 1).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
(a) l’Association des Jardins Ouverts et Néanmoins Clôturés, LES AJONC : in developing the garden
(b) The city of Lille: owns the land
(c) JTSE network: in support of community garden (Ref 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Lille city 'Urban Renewal' project plan (Ref 4))
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Crowdfunding
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Other
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. The community gardens in Lille. Grain of gardens network. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 13th August, 2020.
2. Le Jardin des (Re)trouvailles. Ville de Lille. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 13th August, 2020.
3. AJONC, l’Association des Jardins Ouverts et Néanmoins Clôturés. Available at: Source link. accessed on 13th August, 2020.
4. In Lille, a garden shared by and for the inhabitants. Available at: Source link. accessed on 13th August, 2020.
2. Le Jardin des (Re)trouvailles. Ville de Lille. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 13th August, 2020.
3. AJONC, l’Association des Jardins Ouverts et Néanmoins Clôturés. Available at: Source link. accessed on 13th August, 2020.
4. In Lille, a garden shared by and for the inhabitants. Available at: Source link. accessed on 13th August, 2020.